


Ash and Embers

by ukenceto



Category: Gears of War (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, questionable items as lube
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-25
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:08:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2673176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternative history-  Marcus Fenix and Damon Baird meet right after the events in Gears of War: Judgment. A spark of something between them starts the beginning of their romantic relationship; that must stay a secret from the COG. Possible hot scenes between them in future chapters. Implied Garron Paduk/Sofia Hendrick throughout the story.<br/>Not sure what else might appear, so stay tuned :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wings of Death

**Author's Note:**

> for those who might have not played Judgment yet- Kilo Squad is the squad Baird leads in Halvo Bay; back then he's a Lieutenant; but at the end of the game he's demoted to private because of disobeying orders and launching a small Lightmass missile in Halvo Bay, trying to kill General Karn- a real shitty locust leader. Killo squad has sweet dynamics as a team and I love them all :3 Ezra Loomis is a dick and of you've at least watched the Judgment trailer he's the one that hits Baird at one point. Baird on the other side, is almost equally sassy as in the other games, but generally shows a lot more of the 'kind inner self' than what we see in the other games- it figures, he was younger and didn't have so much shit happen to him just yet. Marcus Fenix at the time is the commander and part of Omega-two; he and Baird never really meet in the game, but they talk over the radio and Kilo squad helps them after they've been pinned down by the locusts.
> 
> I've tried and will keep trying to keep events and times relative to the ones in the games, and partially in the books; mostly stuff considered major cannon points. But I also add random other things I like, like the NBR588 that you will read about in chapter 1, and is actually a real historical thing.

Alternate history or alternative reality is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which one or more historical events unfolds differently from how it did in this reality.

#

**Date: 0 A.E.**

**Six Weeks After Emergence Day, Halvo Bay**

*******

 

"This is Omega-Two. We're a little roasted but clear."- Omega-two’s reply came in right after the Lightmass missile was fired.

 

Lieutenant Damon Baird had barely heard that when he and the rest of Kilo Squad were attacked by the locust forces again. Taking cover he hid from the rain of bullets, firing his lancer back at them. He was glad Omega-Two made it. Too many gears had died today.

 

After taking that short moment to appreciate a job well done, he focused on the enemy forces. They might’ve made it this far; however there was more to be done, mainly not dying from some tricky locust bastard catching him off-guard. 

 

He kept taking out the enemies, simultaneously looking out for Cole, Sofia and Paduk. The day sure took a toll on all of them and with that many locusts still attacking, he had to keep sharp. No one was dying on his watch, not here, not today.

 

*******

 

That was it. Karn was finally defeated. Sure, it only took a missile designed to eradicate thousands, ton of lancer ammo and finally a Boltok Pistol’s shot all close and personal to his cranium, but that was certainly the creature’s end.

 

Baird and the rest of Kilo were making their way to the outpost evac centers outside of Halvo, both surviving citizens and gears who were injured or needed rest after the exhausting battle were there. Still on high alert, Kilo Squad passed throughout the city, killing whatever locusts were still around. They were less, but still attacking, regardless of the fact their commander was killed.

 

Quietly groaning due to numerous small injuries, bruises and cuts, patched up in a hassle, Baird and the team made it to Outpost №1-Zulu. It was closest to the city, Gears only- squads taking shifts were sleeping there, the med bay was operating full force. All civilians had already been transported to outposts farther from the hot zone, what they had previously called a city, but it was already past midnight as Kilo arrived and they had no plans to go to the other outposts.

 

Even if Baird was no longer a Lieutenant, currently the ‘court’ was a little too busy to take them on the stand again- until further notice, he and Kilo would remain in the premises of the city, assisting the other squads in eradicating all locust forces in the area.

 

Ezra Loomis, who was in a better condition than Kilo’s members for sure, had taken the first shift with Onyx, aiming to strike while the locusts were still in dismay after their commander’s demise. Looking up at the dark sky, only illuminated by the fire and the smoke still burning throughout Halvo, Baird noticed several black shapes moving fast to the city- King Raven helicopters were deploying. He recognized the distinctive stealth profile those particular machines had- he had never seen them in action before, but he knew that was the infamous Night Bomber Regiment 588. The COG’s most prized war birds- rumors had it those were the planes that dropped the aim beacon in the UIR undetected- the beacon that would later be used to guide the Lightmass Missile strikes against the Gorazni. 

 

Baird shook his head. He never got over the fact the COG won the Pendulum War using that technology. He was never planning to be a part of the military before E-Day- the whole ‘human genocide war’ was not really his thing. He shot a sideways glance at Garron Paduk. The man’s platinum hair was distinct even in the dark, the scars covering half his face and arm cast eerie shadows over the skin, but the moment Baird thought about it, all he could see was his comrade, his friend even, looking completely exhausted. Damon realized he really considered Paduk a friend. Throughout that long, long day Paduk had saved him more than once. For all other Gears talk against the COG joining forces with ex UIR soldiers, Baird was certain if Paduk hated him he could’ve easily left him to die several times this day, but instead he had acted with a loyalty Baird never really expected. Thinking over how shortly Emergence Day happened after the Pendulum War’s end, he had the feeling maybe the COG was jinxed or something- for once the universe came to say that you can’t just massacre millions of people and get away with it.

 

Almost as if he had heard his thoughts, Paduk looked at him, his voice raspy as he broke the silence. 

 

“Back in Gorasnya, after your Lightmass Missile hit, the fires burned for 41 days. Even after the official capitulation of the UIR, the fires were still burning. Our land was scorched… and so were we. I don’t think that Halvo city of yours will last, even after those monsters are out of there.” His accent was more noticeable now, the exhaustion taking its toll on him. Baird was left with the thought Paduk didn’t refer only to the locusts when he said ‘monsters’; and honestly he couldn’t really blame him for that.

 

Sofia looked worryingly at Paduk – Baird was not an expert when it came to feelings, but he could definitely sense the tension between these two. It was clear where that would lead, his only hope was that no one else at the COG would figure it out. Not only was Paduk an ex UIR, but relationships between Gears serving together were generally frowned upon, especially if those two gears had just taken part in disobeying direct orders from higher commanding officers.

 

Grand mess was not only forming, they were all already in it, quite past the knees, so to speak. Baird didn’t really think about what would follow next, something he figured out pretty quickly in all those weeks of service was that above all, you worry whether you’ll survive until the next day, not whose ass you have to kiss to get out of trouble. And he was certainly not the type to do the latter. If he was in trouble, he’d deal with it when the time came, with measures at hand.

 

They all knew what they were getting into, but regardless of that Loomis had to say about it, it was a fact that a lot of civilians were saved because of the decisions they made, so was Omega-two and the general of the locusts was dead. They were ready to take the consequences for decisions they would never regret making.

 

Finally reaching the camp they were identified by the patrolling gears and headed to the medical station. Even without serious injuries, they needed some assistance. Damon’s left bicep had a large gash on it from one locust almost managing to slice him with a Cleaver, Paduk’s right thigh was grazed by a bullet, Cole’s arm had a burn from their battle against Karn. Only Sofia seemed to have avoided open injury, but she had plenty of bruises to make up for it.

 

As they entered the tent marked with a red cross on it, they were greeted by quite the gruesome sight- every flat surface was either covered with bloody bandages, armor or makeshift beds with injured gears laying on them. Several medics were still working on the serious cases, it seemed every squad coming over had at least one badly injured and several lighter injured Gears.

 

“Seems like we’d have to make a do with what we find around” Sofia stated, already searching for first aid medical supplies. She had training for field Medic, and even if she couldn’t perform surgery, she was really good at patching up gashes and burns.

 

They made their way to the back of the tent that had some free space, unoccupied by patients. Paduk, Cole and Baird sat over some supply crates, leaving their weapons nearby, you never knew when and where the locust might attack from. Even though all they wanted was to finally take their armor off, it was not advisable. Unless they had injuries underneath it, all COG were supposed to wear armor until they returned to barracks or other safe center. Outpost camp right next to a warzone did not fit the description, therefore they only removed the parts strictly necessary for Sofia to take care of their injuries.

 

“Appreciate you doing that… You’re not really in any better shape than we are.” Paduk spoke to Sofia softly. She just looked at him for a moment, while cleaning the wound the bullet left on his tight.

 

“It’s my duty as a qualified Medic to offer assistance to those in need. Lucky for you though, that wound is not too deep and won’t require stitches. Replace the bandage often enough and for several days you’d be as good as new.” She gave him a small smile after finishing tightening the bandage around his leg.

 

She pushed away the hair locks that had managed to slip from her ponytail with the back of her hand, and turned over to look at Baird’s arm. “That, on the other hand, would definitely require stitches. It’s even still bleeding!”

 

Baird pulled away from her a little, with a strange look in his eyes. Taking a glance at Cole instead, he quickly said “He got a burn, that’s gotta hurt like hell. You should fix him first instead.”

 

Sofia seemed confused for a moment, when Cole’s booming laugh filled the space around them. “Never mind that, baby! Damon here’s afraid of needles. Always have. He’d say anything to delay the inevitable, you can be sure. I remember that part in training when he-“

 

“-Hey, that’s enough, okay!” Baird sounded annoyed as he interrupted him, but his bitch-face showed Cole was in fact speaking the truth. “No need to let the entire COG know that, right? If you two are done with the chit-chat I’d rather get this over with and go sleep or something.” He was definitely borderline sulking.

 

Taking pity on his friend, and given the fact the burn did indeed hurt a lot, Cole just grinned and replied “I think I’ll take on that bandage now, ma’am.”

 

Sofia jokingly pushed at his uninjured arm. “Don’t call me that, okay. Makes me feel old.” As she started taking care of his burned arm, Paduk was just observing the interaction between the three of them in silence. He was older than all of them, used to be a Major in the UIR, yet he could remember the days when he and his squad would joke around, laugh in the face of death as they say. But it was different back then; they were in a war against other humans, not these locust beasts.

 

He knew both sides back then had their victims, but while lot of high-standing COG officers could make sure their children never got sent to the most vicious of battlefields, in the UIR every soldier could be send on almost suicide mission in enemy territory. Maybe that was how the UIR stood their ground so long against the COG, but in the end it didn’t really matter, not after the Lightmass struck.

 

Paduk found a strange sort of sentiment connecting him with Lieutenant Baird. He kept referring to him like that in his head, even if Damon was officially just a Private now. In a way, Paduk saw himself in him.When he was younger he had remarkable similarities to Damon.

 

It wasn’t Baird’s ease around all mechanical devices or his almost royal heritage. It was the stubbornness, the slight unwillingness to strictly follow orders, the fact they both never wanted to be in the army. 

 

But while Damon was given a choice whether to enlist before E-day or not, Paduk was forced to become part of the military very young and to serve in the Pendulum wars. He was never fond of killing other humans, but he lived long enough, saw enough of his fellow soldiers die by enemy bullets and learned if he did not kill them they would kill him for sure. At least this war was against a different kind of monster, the kind he’d kill with no remorse any day.

 

This day though, he saw something change in the blonde Gear, something he knew was inevitable. After everything they sacrificed and everyone they managed to save, the COG and Loomis still blamed them for disobeying orders. They did not deserve that blame, but the world was never a fair place anyways.

 

Paduk didn’t know what exactly Baird’s reaction to that would be, he only hoped he would not lose that sense of humanity his heart and mind held. That was usually one of the most valuable things men lost when facing the injustice of war. If he was lucky, maybe Baird would just become more cynical, would learn to hide behind the pretense of not caring, but would keep that good, humane side despite what the COG does to him in the meanwhile. Something Paduk thought he himself had lost long time ago was awakened that day by the reckless bravery of those young soldiers in Kilo, or by the way Sofia Hendrik looked at him. He could never know for sure, but one thing he was certain of was that something in him was changing too, and maybe for the better.

 

While he was lost in that train of thoughts, Sofia had taken care of Cole’s arm and was currently starting the stitches on Baird, whose face looked considerably paler. He was following the needle’s path over his arm while ignoring Cole’s attempts at distracting him with random stories about some Trashball game.

 

Caught in that half-haze state right before falling asleep, Paduk absentmindedly wondered what the source of the young Gear’s distress regarding needles was, maybe it was something in his childhood? Paduk didn’t really care about the answer, just wished Baird wouldn’t puke or something. He really was half-asleep already. Leaned over one of the crates, he was ready to close his eyes and get some much needed rest, when he heard a familiar voice. He couldn’t quite place where he knew it from though, so instead he just took a look at the front of the tent, where the voices were coming from.

 

A new squad of Gears had just come in, supporting couple injured and moving them to the operating tables. The medics wouldn’t be getting much rest tonight either. The new Gears’ armor looked oddly deformed and covered in black patches. The smell though was what gave them away. A heavy, suffocating smell of burned clothes, plating and flesh, and something the mind couldn’t quite place, but resembled mix of mint and coppery tang of blood. Paduk knew that mix of smells very well, he himself had reeked of it once, and it was embedded deeply in his mind. It was the toxic burn of Imulsion, the Lightmass missile’s fuel. 

 

Those gears were most probably what was left of the Omega-two squad. They were the only gears close enough to the impact point of the missile today. He continued looking at them with half-lidded eyes. They were quick to take their weapons and armor off, having the right to do so, it was hardly usable anymore and heavily damaged by the Imulsion fire.

 

Paduk recognized their commanding officer by the voice. He was the one that had requested assistance and afterwards told them the squad was just ‘a little roasted’. Now it seemed that was a bit of an understatement, but Paduk knew they could’ve been in much worse condition given how close they were to the impact zone.

 

The commander of Omega-two didn’t say anything else. He stood around the medics for a while, making sure there’s someone tending to his men, but it became obvious he was kind of getting in the way. With so many Gears around the space was becoming crowded. Similar to what Kilo did after getting in the med bay tent, the man looked around and found the back of the tent had some extra space, so he just headed there.

 

By definition, Paduk was no small man. He had his height and muscle as most other soldiers around. But as Omega-two’s commander came closer, the difference between them was oblivious. The black haired man stood more than 6’ft tall- and packed the muscles to fit that height. First thought in Paduk’s head was the phrase ‘a mountain of a man’- truly fitting one in this case.

 

The black haired man just cast a quick glance over the Kilo squad group- his arctic blue eyes almost shining in the dark, accented by the dirt and blood smeared on his face. There was something primal about him, as if he was raw representation of nature’s force, strength like the most unforgiving of winds, enduring like the hardest of granite rocks in the core of the planet. Paduk had met men like him very rarely. They all shared that strange sense of intimidation,  filling the space in a room with their being, metaphorically speaking.

 

Paduk expected him to say something; instead the man just silently sat on another supply crate and started to clean his lancer. Despite his quiet approach, Omega-two’s commander had managed to catch not only Paduk’s attention- Baird, who seemingly had forgotten the needle and Sofia stitching his wound, was looking at the newcomer with an expression Paduk couldn’t decipher.

 

It slightly reminded him of the face Baird made when he was facing new and bizarre piece of technology, a pinch of curiosity, concentration and something typically ‘Damon-ish’ that convinced the observer whatever was laying at hand would be figured out and if necessary fixed. He knew Baird was sort of a genius when it came to technology but Paduk never thought of him as much of a ‘people’ person. So maybe he was reading the whole expression thing wrong, they were all tired for sure and what did it matter anyway.

 

“You’re part of Delta-two, aren’t you?” Baird spoke to the black haired man, who just looked up from his lancer, almost as if surprised that the other man initiated a conversation, then realized he knew the voice.

 

“Yeah. And you are Kilo squad?” He replied with gravelly voice.

 

“In all our glory.” Baird replied with a smirk.

 

Kilo were almost equally covered in dirt and drying blood as Omega-two, the last word to describe them at the moment would be glorious. The other man just made some intelligible noise that could’ve been an amused hum. 

 

“Name’s Damon Baird. This is Private Augustus Cole, Onyx Guard Cadet Sofia Hendrick and Private Garron Paduk.”

 

Paduk noticed Baird ‘missed’ to state his own rank, after all the insignia on his armor still declared him Lieutenant. It would be a bit contradictory to say he was now demoted to a private without explaining the whole story. 

 

“Sergeant Marcus Fenix-” Omega-two’s commander replied. “Appreciate the assist today; we kind of figured the evac might not come on time for us, if it wasn’t for you all intervening.” He either didn’t know the rumors about Kilo disobeying orders, or he tactically chose not to mention that.

 

“You know, we’ve all been in similar position once” Baird sounded tired, but he was trying to hide it. Sofia had just finished bandaging his arm, and he hadn’t even noticed yet. What he did notice though, was that Marcus was injured too, several bandages covered his shoulder, blood seeping through. It seemed as if the injury was from some time ago- placed underneath the place usually covered by armor. 

 

“Need help with that?”

 

Tracing Baird’s glance to his injured shoulder, it seemed Marcus had just realized his covered wound was bleeding.

 

“Uh… Maybe. I guess some stitches might have ripped.” He replied, his deep voice low. 

 

“I guess I can take a look at that too.” Sofia went to him as well, taking care of the wound; Marcus barely showed any reaction to the needle passing through his skin.

 

Paduk observed Baird, who was observing Marcus sympathetically. It seemed like his dislike towards needles existed despite who they were being used on.

 

“That seems to be all I can do for you boys tonight. I say we hit the cots…Somewhere. Wherever they might be. We’re wanted on patrol in the city again tomorrow.” Sofia said with a sigh, putting new bandages on Marcus

 

“Yeah, that’s just fucking peachy.” Baird seemed to have stopped caring whatsoever and was just outright bitchy and tired, successfully summing up everyone’s state of body and mind.

 

“You know what they say- no rest for the wicked, baby. Seems like it’s gonna start raining though. The Train won’t rust ‘coz of little water, but we could take a look around outside, find another tent maybe even some spare cots, whatcha say team?” After saying that, Cole, ever the optimistic one got up and went for the exit.

 

Paduk got up with a sigh and followed him, leaning on Sofia who kindly offered him some support, his leg was injured after all. Shaking his head, Baird also got up.

 

“Hey Marcus, you coming with us?” He asked, his azure blue eyes meeting the other man’s sapphire gaze. Looking around, Marcus noticed some of his men had already taken off so they wouldn’t take the much needed space around the operating tables; the ones in more serious condition were already patched up and laid with other injured gears.

 

“Yeah, I guess.” He muttered and went after Baird, who simply thought ‘not a man of many words, are you Marcus’, yet had the feeling he had only gazed upon the surface of what might be hidden inside the Omega-two’s Sergeant.

 

The black haired man was quiet, but the look he had given Baird spoke volumes. He wasn’t sure whether he even understood all that wordlessly went between them. His eyes held a hidden depth, depth Damon knew he couldn’t leave without finding out more about what it hid.

  
He knew very well thoughts like these were dangerous, but that was in his nature- figuring out what makes things tick, the complex mechanisms beneath tough casing, things other people found obscure, he could understand perfectly. That never usually applied to people, but he knew he had found an exception and whether it was his curiosity or something else, he found Marcus Fenix incomprehensibly… alluring.


	2. Timekiller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deserted and left to the elements, but still standing after all this time, the old Lighthouse next to Outpost Zulu was going to serve one more time; maybe not as a beacon of light, but as a haven for two men seeking solitude.  
> //this chapter is rated NC-17, Marcus/Baird

The rough floorboards pressed against Damon’s back, making the numerous bruises he got throughout the day ache. He was quickly distracted by the warm weight of a someone leaning over him, hands roaming all over his body, tangling in his hair. Full, chapped lips pressed against his in open-mouthed kisses, deep and velvety and searing hot, his tongue meeting another. He pushed his hips up, grinding, arching his back off the cold floor.

 

Thunder sounded outside, immediately followed by a lightning; its brief flash illuminating the inside of the greenhouse they were in. The numerous glass panels on the roof reflected the light. Dark spots indicated the places where the glass had broken off during the course of many years. Running his palms over a strong back, reaching up to muscled shoulders he briefly separated his lips from the other man’s. 

 

“Marcus…. Are you-” Damon’s voice was barely audible.

 

“I don’t kiss and tell, Damon… I expect you won’t either.” The black haired man’s deep voice sounded low, as if he didn’t want to disturb the empty, abandoned greenhouse. Apart from them, there was only the growing thunder and wind outside, hollowing through the cracks and broken panels to disturb the gathered dust. And for all that was worth, that was what happened- they were never there, and no one could know they had ever been.

 

The structure was several hundred meters away from Outpost№1’s perimeter, on a hill overlooking Halvo Bay’s coastline. Covered in old bronze frames, crafted in spiral and floral shapes, the place had also served as a light house long before the Pendulum War, but was abandoned after Halvo prospered throughout the long going war. The wealthy citizens had build their estates south from the makeshift border, marked by a series of hills reaching the shore. New, taller lighthouses were built in more strategic locations, demanded by the Coalition’s Navy making their command center in Halvo Bay. Deserted and left to the elements, but still standing after all this time, the old Lighthouse next to Outpost Zulu was going to serve one more time, maybe not as a beacon of light, but as a haven for two men seeking solitude.

 

Old trees and overgrown wild plants covered the corners and had sunk their roots in the cracks between the distorted floorboards and concrete tiles, wrapping around the metal columns supporting the roof. For each flash of lightning across the night sky, it cast shadows that seemed alive, giving an eerie glow to the old place. The first raindrops hit the roof softly, followed by more. The rain fell steady as it beat over the glass surface of the Greenhouse, soothing over the thunder’s reverberating rumble.

 

Discarded armor pieces lay on the floor around Marcus and Baird, both men just had their pants and thin cotton shirts on. A couple of blankets sat forgotten next to Baird’s armor, as the two of them were wrapped in each other’s embrace. Marcus were placing restless kisses over every bared skin on Damon he could reach, sliding down the crook of his neck, nipping and sucking over his throat, but ever-so-careful not to leave a visible mark. His hands found their way under the blonde man’s shirt, caressing and rising goosebumps in their wake.

 

Damon was returning the touches eagerly, grabbing Marcus’s ass and pushing up his hips to meet him, pressing their hardness together, finding a rhythm as they moved against each other. Sliding up Damon’s shirt, Marcus pulled away from him for a moment, quickly discarding his own clothes. Baird took the hint and unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down his thighs before removing them completely, spreading his legs slightly in an invitation.

 

Marcus took a deep breath, steadying himself as he was presented with the sight, another lightning took the chance to light up the place, making Damon’s pale skin stand out vividly in the soft darkness. His eyes never left Marcus’s, his gaze seized by them- it was as if they held the lightning, burning with raw passion and promise for what the night would hold.

 

Baird wrapped his legs around Marcus’s waist, their mouths connecting once again, tongues sliding and thrusting and battling for dominance. Droplets of water slid over their heated skin, the water finding its way through the damaged roof, dripping over and around them. Kissing and grasping and sliding against each other, the two gears barely felt the cold water’s touch as the rain got stronger.

 

Moving down Damon’s torso, Marcus swept his tongue down his navel, steadily traveling lower. His fingers wrapped around the blonde’s arousal, stroking him several times, then licking a long, wet stripe from the base to the tip, swirling his tongue around it. Baird tried to keep down a moan, his head falling back against the floor as his hands buried in Marcus’s short black hair, pulling him down slightly, soundlessly begging for more. He couldn’t keep his voice low as he was engulfed in the moist heat of the other man’s mouth. Marcus didn’t seem to have much experience but it was more than enough for Damon, who tightened his legs around Marcus, fingers of his left hand still entwined in his hair, while the other blindly searched for something in the pocket of the pants next to him.

 

“Here, use this…” He held out small tube to Marcus, who quickly caught on, coating his fingers thoroughly and used the substance to prepare Baird, who left out a groan and grabbed Marcus’s left arm as he felt fingers find their way inside him. Marcus clashed their mouths together again, but this time it wasn’t slow or gentle, it was carnal, strong and Baird felt heat coil up inside him. He wanted more, he wanted all Marcus Fenix could give him.

 

“Now… I need you” his voice sounded hoarse as he spoke.

 

Marcus removed his fingers and sat back up, pulling Damon over in his lap, and slowly pushed into him. Their mouths connected again, moans of pleasure getting lost between sealed lips and heated tongues. Sliding in and out of Damon’s body, Marcus went slow and deep at first, his thrusts met by Damon who ran his hands over his back, nails leaving red lines over the skin. The breaths escaping them turned into breathless gasps and groans, as the water kept dripping onto them unnoticed.

 

“Faster, please..fuck…”Damon could barely form sentences anymore, as he pressed against Marcus, urging him to fuck him harder, to make him remember that night forever. Whatever self-restrain Marcus had kept until then gave in to the pure strength of the lust Baird lit inside him. He set an unsteady pace, each thrust deep and hard and jarring Damon’s entire being. The sensations washing over him made him lose all thoughts, the only things that mattered were now, harder, more as he held on, legs tight around Marcus’s hips and hands digging in the flesh of his back, scratching and pulling. His moans were driving all sanity out of Marcus’s mind. He praised the thunder and the storm outside, for giving them the perfect cover- it meant he could hear all Baird had to offer, every sound and moan and plea without worrying someone else might hear them too.

 

Their movements grew more erratic and desperate as they came close to release. Damon screamed Marcus’s name as he spilled between them, tightening even more around Marcus’s flesh inside him. Sealing their lips together, Marcus’s groan muffled as he pushed hard one last time inside Baird, stilling his movements and gripping him close.

  
Laying back on the floor, still wrapped in each other’s arms, they shared several more kisses, this time slower, as their passion had been seated.

 

“The rain stopped…” Baird noticed idly after a while. The thunder seemed to have moved on too, but it was still audible in the distance, its place was taken by wind that blew around the hills and howled through the broken panels in the Greenhouse. 

 

Sighing, Marcus replied“We should head back, return while it’s still dark and the patrols won’t notice.”

 

“Yeah, I guess we do…” Damon didn’t sound particularly up to the idea, but they had no choice.

 

As they dressed again, he was sure he could fall asleep right there. They were both exhausted after all the battles throughout the day, but the tension between them had proven too much. They had to do something about it, and simply laying in the camp’s tents wasn’t working out. Baird had never felt such attraction to another man, never even knew how those things could happen in the army- yet here he was, after what was probably the best fuck of his life, with a man he barely knew, and all it took for them to get to that point were a lot of meaningful glances, very little words, and one day of patrolling and fighting together.

 

While they were sneaking back into the outpost, Damon wondered how far they would take this. Was it a one-time thing? He didn’t think so. What they just had was… Sensational, for the lack of better word. He knew he certainly wanted more, and Marcus probably did as well.

 

Marcus was currently silent again, as usual, until they reached the tent where the rest of the ex Kilo and Omega-two squads were staying. Before entering, Marcus simply turned to him and said“Tomorrow night. Same place.” Baird just smirked, as Marcus quietly went back to his cot.

Damon was going to stay outside for a while, hiding in the shadows in case any of the other gears were still awake. They shouldn’t see him and Marcus come back together.

 

***

 

Faint glow could still be seen from the city and as Paduk predicted the Imulsion fires were still burning, even after two days and two storms. Water clearly wasn’t helping. Halvo Bay was now ruins and glowing embers.

 

Baird almost chuckled, looking up at a dark, tall structure near the border of the city- it was a statue of a man with wings and a cog shaped halo.

Embry. The entity protecting the city, a dead man glorified for victories of the past. Feeling strangely melancholic, Baird just stared at the statue for a while, fleeting thought passing his mind.

 

‘Didn’t manage to save us this time, did you, old man...’

 

***

 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any thoughts so far people?  
> And why is smut so hard to write agh  
> This chapter's inspiration song http://youtu.be/hmTLIa40ndU?t=21s

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review and tell me if you liked it or hated it by far and if you want to see more. I realize the time table is a mess, and maybe I'll switch POV in the later chapters; consider this more like a Prologue, until things are a bit more polished out.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-16NwCtZv_Q the song inspiration you might have found the references to ;D


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